Bringing the **** wittery of our owners to a wider audience. So that's why Hull crowds don't add up In the column last week, I gave Hull City’s average attendance in the Championship as 15,826. And that is the official figure. Matthew Rudd at the Amber Nectar podcast, however, has helpfully pointed me in the direction of a Freedom of Information request submitted in August, showing the true toll taken by relegation and the conflict between Hull fans and owners the Allam family. This shows that while 15,504 was the announced attendance against Bolton on August 25, the actual gate was 12,834 with 898 travelling from Bolton. Against Wolves on August 15, the actual attendance was 14,459, not the 17,284 given — and 1,358 of those were away fans. If this has carried on throughout the season, Hull are inflating their gate by roughly 20 per cent each week. please log in to view this image +12 Hull's attendance figures make a mockery of the Allams' attitude towards the club's fans A ground that is one fifth closed - the Upper West Stand isn’t currently open - is now barely half full. Even if the official figures were accurate this would still be Hull’s poorest average since 2002-03 when they were in the fourth tier. Of course, there is no rule that says crowd figures have to be accurate. Clubs are entitled to include season-ticket holders whether they turn up or not — the ticket has, after all, been sold — and Hull would not be the first to brazenly overstate their popularity. Manchester City, in the days of Peter Swales, were famous for it. However, Hull’s numbers do rather make of mockery of the Allams’ dismissive attitude towards supporters during the Hull Tigers debacle. If fans really are so irrelevant, why not be honest about how many have been lost over a misguided, baseless spat?
It was obvious to anyone that's been to a game this season that the attendances were a blatant lie so is nice to have it proven. Although I don't think the shortfall of 20% is just down to pass holders not turning up, that's too high, they're obviously inflating the gates in other ways too.
No no no, 5,000 memberships aren't turning up They just thought they'd pay their dues and stay at home
What’s in it for the Allams to lie? The rumour in the old days was always underestimating crowds to squirrel away some money. Is it purely face-saving?
They're trying to sell it as a thriving concern...with 18000 happy Tiger members Not 12 000 sullen malcontents
Just a question from someone 'not in the know'... do the club pay VAT on gate receipts. In which case, every time they inflate the figures they are paying additional VAT on non existent revenue...?
Do we know the exact figure for memberships? Well I mean the real figure. Didn't the club say 11000 memberships sold?
Think that was in the summer. A fair few have cancelled since then and I doubt many new memberships have started.
It won’t be that many, there’s about 2,500 corporate members, I doubt there’s even 7,500 other members.
I doubt the 20% mark down will be pass holders not turning up, they would just cancel and not waste money. More likely the Allams are counting all coporate and community tickets they give out as attendees, regardless of how many actually attend. The reason is obvious, you want potential buyers to see you have 15,000 people (sources of revenue) regularly attending, rather than 12,000. Over the course of a season the "extra" 3000 attendees per home game equate to 69000 over a season (£1 million additional revenue at average of £15 a ticket, before match day purchases). Then of course the advertising sales...... Lots of reasons to over inflate attendances
